Dumb-bell.



PATENTED APR. 4, 1905. -G. H. SHEPHERD.

DUMB BELL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1904.

blesses I t v w'b-um-vwh- I 7 fiysfier. M (1; W I r M UNITED STATES Patented April 4, 1905.

GEORGE H. SHEPHERD, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

DUMB-BELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 786,318, dated April 4, 1905.

Application filed September 12,1904. Serial No. 224,132.

1'0 alt w/tmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H ENRY SHEP- HERD, a citizen of the Kingdom of Great Britain, residing at No. 1 Rue Caumartin, Paris, in the Department of Seine, France, have invented a new and useful Improved Dumb-Bell, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in dumb-bells destined for physical exercises and having specially for their object to cause the pupil to grasp vigorously in his hands the bars or handles to which the weights are connected.

It is recognized in practice that the development of the muscles of the arms, of the wrist, and of the hand is much more efficient when the dumb-bell. is firmly grasped in the hand during the exercise.- This result is obtained according to my invention by making the balls of each dumb-bell separate, connecting to each a short bar which is hinged to a pair of side plates in such a way that the central part of the dumbbell must be firmly grasped in the hand in order to prevent the moving apart of two parts of the handle by the turning of the bars carrying the balls. It follows that the hand is obliged to exercise an energetic and continuous compression upon the handle containing the bars of the dumbbell in order to maintain said bars during the exercises in line one with the other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the dumb-bell in elevation in the position it occupies when the handle is not compressed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. A is a section of the dumb-bell in the position which it occupies when the handle is compressed. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line Y Y of Fig. I. Fig. 6 is an outside elevation of the dumb-bell with handle compressed.

B B are the balls of the dumb-bell, and A A the bars on the ends of which they are mounted. The bars A A are pivoted on pins 0 0', respectively, between a pair of cheek-pieces d d. As the bars A A oscillate around their pivots 0 0 they can, by means of their free ends, enlarged in the shape of ahammer c c,

produce a pressure upon the two pieces a a of the handle covering the cheeks (Z d. The two pieces a a of the handle have each internally a guiding-blade ff, in each of which there is a slot g g. engaged between the cheeks (Z (Z in such a manner that the slots g g are placed in line and permit of the passage therethrough of a pin it, passing between the cheeks (Z (Z. In the interior of the pieces a a of the handle the respective raised pieces and 2" t" are formed to receive the pressure of the hammers e c, said pieces having the shape of inclined planes in order to increase the amount of the displacement of the pieces a a under the pressure of the hammers. By the pressure of the hand upon the two pieces a a of the handle, Figs. 4L, 5, and 6, these latter are caused to maintain the hammers e in a definite position between the cheeks (Z (Z, inwhich the longitudinal axes of the bars A A are in prolongation; but if the hand of the user relaxes its grasp the balls B B will under the influence of gravity cause the bars A A to swing upon their pivots 0 c, and the hammers e e, pressing upon the inclined plane 2' 2", will push upward the piece a of the handle, and at the same time the bars A A will hold down the piece (4, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The pieces a a of the handle may thus become separated one from the other as far as the slots 9 g permit. On the other hand, if the piece a of the handle occupies the position of the piece a, Fig. 2that is to say, if the dumb-bell be turned upside down then this piece a will be pushed away by the hammers c a pressing upon the inclined plane r1 '5.

What I claim isl. A dumb-bell comprising two independent bars each provided with a heavy ball,

means for pivotally supporting said bars, and

a handle in two pieces adapted to be spread by the bars when the latter turn on their pivots.

2. A dumbbell of the type set forth comprising two bars each provided with a weighted ball and pivoted upon an axis supported by a pair of intermediate pieces, a handle of two longitudinal parts covering said intermediate pieces, said parts provided with inclined pro- These blades f f are jections and with guidingplates and slots, limit the displacement of the two parts of the IQ and a pin fixed between said two intermediate i handle. i

pieces and adapted to pass through said slots, In testimony whereofl have signed myname the whole so arranged that by oscillation of to this specification in the presence of two suhsaid bars upon their axes under the weight of scribing witnesses.

the balls the ends of said bars will rest upon (1. H. SHEPHERD. said inclined projections and thus push away \Vitnesses: one of the parts of the handle tending to re- H. D. J AMEsoN,

move it from the other part, while said slots A. NUTTING. 

